The invention in general relates to foamed plastic food containers having an integral dish and cover interconnected by a hinge and capable of nesting in a stack when the containers are open. More particularly the invention relates to an improved dish for such containers which enhances the stacking properties and food storage capability of the container and provides for easy insertion and removal of foods in the dish.
Foamed plastic food containers are very widely used in the fast food industry because they are economical and permit food to be handled, stored, and reheated easily and conveniently.
The functional design of the foamed plastic food containers is well developed and includes many United States patents and patent applications. Among the most relevant are U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,876,130 and 3,935,962 and applicants' own earlier U.S. Pat. application Ser. No. 764,033, now abandoned, filed Jan. 31, 1977. These prior patents and applications generally relate to structures that permit efficient handling of the container before and after the food is placed in it. However, it is also important in the fast food industry that the operations of inserting and removing the food from the container be more quickly and efficiently performed. This is complicated by the fact that the typical hamburger sandwich is not assembled as precision article. The height and roundness of the buns vary. The hamburger meat itself is not completely round and when the sandwich is assembled, the meat patty is usually offset from the center.
Most containers used for hamburger sandwiches have a generally round shape and are only slightly larger than the hamburger. Furthermore, the hamburger usually rests on the bottom or very close to the bottom of the container. Such containers are so completely filled by the hamburger and bun that there is no room for the fingers while placing the hamburger in the container and while lifting it out of the container. All of these factors may cause burning or soiling of the fingers and/or crushing of the hamburger, especially when the hamburger is being handled very quickly. In addition, the close confines of the containers trap the vapors emanating from the hot hamburgers, with the result that the buns soon become soggy and unappetizing.